


The Big Picture

by love_write_edit_sleep



Category: Sanders Sides, Thomas Sanders, Video Blogging RPF
Genre: Fluff, Gen, Hurt/Comfort, M/M, Multi, Painting, The Big PictureTM, emotional understanding
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2018-04-15
Updated: 2018-04-15
Packaged: 2019-04-23 07:29:39
Rating: General Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 1,168
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/14327577
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/love_write_edit_sleep/pseuds/love_write_edit_sleep
Summary: Logan doesn't understand the Big Picture. Patton helps him to find its meaning, while also helping Logan to understand himself.





	The Big Picture

Patton yawned as he walking into the living room. It was early, and he was, as usual, the first one up. 

Or so he thought.

He nearly yelped in surprise when he saw the logical side standing in the middle of the room, his gaze fixed on the large painting above the sofa.

Patton would never admit it out loud, but the fact Logan was so confused by the big picture just made his heart melt. The fact Logan had vast, seemingly unlimited knowledge about any and every subject, but couldn’t get his head around a single painting. It made Logan seem more human.

“Logan?” Patton announced his presence, feeling guilty when Logan jumped at the unexpected sound. 

“Good morning, Patton.” Logan adjusted his glasses as he turned to face him. “How are you this morning?”

“I’m good. Are you okay?”

“I am satisfactory.”

“You’re never satisfactory when that there painting is involved.” Patton smiled. “What’s wrong. You’re looking Low-gan.” Logan sighed.

“Alright. I am… irritated with myself that I cannot understand this painting…” Logan turned back to the painting. Patton stood next to him, the two admiring it together.

“What do you mean?” Patton asked.

“I mean… what is its purpose? Why was Thomas attracted to it? What does it  _ mean _ ?” 

“Logan… Maybe… Maybe not everything has a reason behind it.” Patton suggested. Logan faltered.

“Wh-what do you mean?”

“This painting… You don’t understand it. But no one is trying to. Thomas and I look at it and I think it’s pretty. Roman looks at it and is inspired. Virgil looks at it and feels calm. You look at it, and you try to find some hidden meaning or reason for it, but there isn’t one. Not one that you can understand, anyway.”

“I don’t…”

“The artist probably had their reasons for painting it, but we’ll never know what those reason are. Maybe they were bored, maybe it’s an emotional expression, or maybe they wanted something pretty for their bedroom.” Patton smiled. “But there is no reason for it. It just is.”

“But-”

“Logan…” Patton turned to face him. “The painting is a painting. It’s paint on canvas. It isn’t a mystery in your  _ infinitesimal  _ universe.” Logan resisted the urge to growl. “It’s just a painting. Don’t let it get to you.”

“But I don’t understand it…” If anyone had pointed out that Logan’s voice broke, he would have denied it completely. So Patton didn’t mention it. He sighed.

“Come with me.” Patton took Logan’s hand and led him to the kitchen. He conjured up two canvases and some paint. “Paint a picture.”

“Excuse me?” Logan blinked.

“Paint something. Anything.” Patton beamed, sitting down. Logan sat opposite him.

It took about an hour for the two to complete their paintings. 

Virgil and Roman said nothing when they walked in to see the two scribbling on canvases. They just grabbed some food and disappeared. Logan was grateful for the silence, the peace, he rather enjoyed the… the illogicality of it all.

“I have completed my task.” Logan announced. Patton beamed.

“Me too! See?” Patton turned his canvas to show Logan. It was a childlike painting of the four sides all holding hands and wearing flower crowns. “The meaning is that I love my FamILY and I wanna see them on my wall when I wake up.” Patton smiled innocently. Logan smiled back, then looked down at his canvas. “Can I see yours?” Patton asked. “You can say no.”

“No… perhaps you can help me understand it…” Logan turned his canvas around to show Patton, who blinked at it. Tears suddenly sprung to his eyes.

“Is… is that how you feel, Logan…?” Patton whispered.

“I do not know. It was the logical thing to paint at the time. Is it bad?” Logan asked wearily. 

The painting itself looked like a photograph: An ocean, vast and wide, and the sky. The sky took up far less space than the ocean, which was painted at an angle so you could see what was happening underwater. Fish swam in the top half of the ocean, but the ocean grew darker as it went down the canvas. At the bottom, barely visible, was Logan, trying to find his way out of the mysteries of the bottom of the ocean.

“No! No, it’s- It’s just sad if it means what I think it means…” Patton whispered. “I know you don’t understand your emotions… but you do have them and this proves it. I think… I think you feel lost and… and you can’t find your way out.”

“Perhaps…” Logan whispered, looking down at his canvas. “Why am I so deep underwater? The pressure of the water on top of me will only push me further down and make it far harder to swim. I will surely drown.”

“That’s- That’s how you’re feeling, Logan, in a metaphorical sense.” Patton wiped tears from his eyes. Logan blinked in realisation. “You feel like your drowning and you can’t save yourself…” Suddenly, Patton burst into tears. “I-I’m sorry…”

“I believe I understand the big picture…” Logan leaned forward, placing his hand on Patton’s arm. “The meaning is in the eyes of the audience… Sometimes, a painting has a singular meaning that can be analysed, like our paintings, but other paintings, such as the big picture, have different meanings to different audiences...”

“What… What does the big picture… mean to you?” Patton sniffed. Logan forced a smile.

“To me, it’s a symbolisation of meaning in itself. The painting has meaning, it is meaningful, and while I cannot understand it, I can understand that it has meaning.”

“I’m so glad you found a meaning for it.” Patton smiled through his tears. “It makes me really happy that you were able to do that.”

“I- Th-thank you, Patton…” Logan adjusted his glasses before looking down at his painting. “I… I do not believe I have finished just yet…”

“Oh…?” Patton sniffed, wiping his eyes. Logan picked up a paintbrush and silently painting over his painting. Patton tried to calm himself as Logan worked. Finally, Logan put down the paintbrush.

“How do you perceive this?” Logan held the new picture up.

It was the same, albeit one detail. 

There was now a boat on the top of the water, above where Logan was drifting. Roman and Virgil sat in the boat, holding onto a rope that went down into the water. Patton was at the end of the rope, swimming down, his hand held out to Logan while Logan was reaching for it. Patton gasped.

“LOGAN!” Patton cried, jumping up from his chair and throwing his arms around Logan. “Oh, Logan!” 

“I… Patton…” Logan couldn’t hide his smile as he hugged Patton back. “I am not on my own, I realise that. It is easier to believe that I am, but that is not a healthy mindset to have.”

“I’m so proud of you, Logan…” 

“Thank you for helping me understand the painting… and myself.” Logan whispered. Patton just held him tighter.


End file.
